Noach: Keeping Above the Water
Dear friends,
Our ability to communicate is what makes us human. The gift of speech elevates us above all other life.
This week we can learn a beautiful lesson about the power of speech and the need to protect it.
Noach was commanded to enter the ark to save himself from the destruction of the evil and corrupt society he inhibited. In Hebrew, the word for “ark” is teivah, which also means “word.” Furthermore, the numerical equivalents of the dimensions of the ark also allude to language. The ark was 30 cubits in height, which corresponds to the Hebrew letter lamed; 300 cubits in length, equaling the letter shin; and 50 cubits in width, which corresponds to the letter nun. These three letters spell lashon, which means “tongue” or “language.” Thus the Kabbalistic commentaries teach that Noah’s ark is the secret of elevated language.
Our words have the power to build or destroy. We therefore must always use extreme care and caution when we choose our words, and recognize that just like the ark created a new reality for mankind, so too will our healthy communication create new realities.
Sarah Esther Crispe,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team
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